Page 55 of Bonds of Hercules
When he finally pulled himself out of me, he grabbed my hunched shoulders and turned me around, gently cradling me against his heaving chest.
His heart pounded thunderously against my ear.
“I don’t know what to do,” I whispered, tilting my head up to him. “She respects our love—what we have. I thought maybe …”
I trailed off, unable to verbalize my tangled thoughts as the scent of fire intensified. Any other person would want Achilles for themselves. They’d try to take him away from me.He’s the only family I have left.He was all I had. There was no one else in my life who truly cared.
Achilles studied my face.
A part of me was already crumbling to pieces, my soul cracking at the thought of another person trying to ruin what we had.
There was a fire in his eyes—a promise—thatwewould be okay.
Tattooed fingers slashed through the hazy air.
I jolted.
His words hung in the air between us, explosive and slightly deranged.
“For you, my love—she’ll be ours.”
8
MEN WHO KNEEL
ALEXIS: ZERODAYSUNTIL THEFIRSTTITANASSIGNMENT
Moonlight reflected off the still lake outside and filtered through the villa’s windows.
I closed the bedroom door gently behind me and Nyx snored around my waist.
The week had passed in a blur of shooting simulations, but my aim had barely improved.
Today we were going into battle against Titans.
I would have been depressed, but since I also had to fight to the death in the SGC this summer, I felt nothing at all.
Fluffy Jr. crouched at my feet; Poco sat on his neck, holding his ears with tiny black fingers, like they were reins.
Wait, shouldn’t he be with Augustus?
Shrugging, I moved down the gilded hall toward the atrium where we’d all agreed to meet. The predawn hour was fraught with anticipation.
Crack.
Smoke rose around a short figure in a green toga with long curly blond hair. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed with relief.
“I’m so glad I caught you, daughter,” Persephone said as she stepped in front of me, a sleeping dragon on her shoulder.
Fluffy Jr. wagged his tail and Poco chittered a greeting.
“Hello, M-Mother.” The word was unfamiliar and foreign in my throat.
What is she doing here?
Persephone opened her arms wide and waited, eyes glittering with tears. “I didn’t want to burden you with … our heritage,” she whispered. “The federation doesn’t want you to know the truth—but I realize the burdens are already there.”
I stepped into her embrace. Her warmth engulfed me as she held me tightly, rubbing my back. It felt right.
